Thursday, March 1
The Agriculture Building Falls
The ruin of the Agriculture Building, the basements of which were cleared today - US National Archives
The Japanese had been forced into an ever-shrinking pocket in around the city center for days, and now they had been contained almost entirely in a single building. As the sun rose on the first of March, 1945 the remnants of the Manila Naval Defense Force still controlled the Finance Building, and pockets remained in the basement of the Agriculture Building and in the open of Luneta, but the Americans were about to make the final push to eliminate them and complete the liberation of Manila.
The pocket in the basement of the Agriculture Building was the first to go today, when the Americans offered one last chance for the men there to surrender. When this was refused, the Americans poured gasoline into the basement and ignited it, thereby destroying the last Japanese resistance in the building.
The Finance Building - US National Archives
A bombardment of the Finance Building had been ongoing since yesterday, and finally ceased at 1430 as the Americans broadcast an appeal for surrender over loudspeakers. A grace period of half an hour was given for the defenders to stand down, and almost all of that time passed without any sing of change. To the shock of the Americans, some Japanese began to stumble out over the rubble with mere minutes to spare. In possibly the largest mass surrender of Japanese troops in the city, 22 men capitulated, leaving the remaining MNDF troops in the Finance Building to make their final stand as the artillery resumed its work.
Japanese troops approach the Americans as they surrender from the Finance Building -US National Archives
The Americans made no attempt to enter the Finance Building today, instead opting to intermittently blast it with artillery fire and demands for surrender. No further Japanese heeded the call, intent on fighting to the end.
Japanese prisoners are led away from the government district, the ruin of the Agriculture Building in the background - US National Archives
US Flags - Represent US and Filipino positions, division emblems added as needed.
IJN Flags - Represent known Major Japanese positions
Black “X” - Represent major war crimes committed today
Medal of Honor - Approximate location of CMH action